Pest control system having event monitoring

ABSTRACT

Pest control systems and methods are described. The systems comprise a portable electronic device which is configured to identify one or more of multiple PCDs within a range of a portable electric device which have been activated, and to provide an indication to a user corresponding to at least one of the identified activated PCDs.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pest control system having event monitoring.Generally, the pest control system collects and manages event data frommultiple pest control devices (PCDs) and filters and reports data to aportable electronic device when in range. The invention provides PCDshaving sensors and sensor filters that improve the accuracy ofdetermining activity within a PCD as well as systems enabling improveddecision making over time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pests such as rodents or insects can be a significant problem in a widerange of locations, climates and situations. For example, rodents suchas rats and mice have been a problem to humans for thousands of yearsand have generally followed humans wherever humans have settled aroundthe world. The problems that rodents can cause are varied. For example,in addition to the loss that they can cause by eating foodstuffs, theymay also contaminate foodstuffs by leaving behind various contaminantssuch as their saliva, faeces and/or urine in addition to any othercontaminants they may carry. Rodents may also cause damage to the fabricof a building by, for example, chewing wiring or nesting within wallcavities. In addition, rodents may harbor and transmit a number ofdiseases. They may also carry parasites, such as fleas and ticks. Rodentpopulations can also grow quickly.

Similarly, various insects such as termites, ants and many others canalso be a significant problem and cause similar effects. As a result,effective and timely action to prevent or deal with a pest infestationincluding both rodents and insects remains an important problem.

Throughout history, humans have devised many solutions for controllingor reducing pest populations and there are presently thousands ofbusinesses whose primary services are the control/reduction of pests.

In a typical modern insect or rodent control system, multiple pestcontrol devices (referred to herein as “PCDs”) are placed around afacility (e.g. a warehouse, a farm, a home or an office block). PCDs aregenerally kill-type devices that lure the pest to the trap with a baitand that then kill the pest by various devices or poison-type devicesthat utilize a bait laced with a poison. Depending on the climate,environment or situation, facilities may commonly have fifty or morePCDs deployed throughout the facility. Pest control agents (referred toherein as “PCAs”) are employed to manually check these PCDs periodically(e.g. weekly or monthly). In order to manually check the PCDs, the PCAsmust locate the PCDs (by finding them or knowing where they are) andinspect the PCDs (e.g. visually) to determine whether they have beenactivated and/or require attention.

Some rodents, such as rats, are instinctively wary of things new totheir environment, including various types of PCDs (eg. live-, kill- orpoison-type PCDs. Manually inspecting a PCD may impart a new smell ontothe PCD and/or change the position of the PCD which may lead to therodents avoiding the PCD and thereby reducing PCD efficacy. In addition,rodents may also colonize in almost any type of structure or locationincluding attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, in wall voids andother hard-to-reach places in buildings as well as many locations withina commercial building or warehouse including within goods and/orindustrial equipment. As it is generally desirable to place PCDs near towhere a problem may exist, manual inspection of PCDs located in or nearthese areas undesirable and/or difficult for the PCA.

As such, operating and maintaining pest (e.g. rodent) control technologyoften requires significant labor, with most of the time and hence costsin controlling pest populations incurred from monitoring PCDs.

By way of example of a typical scenario, a warehouse facility having apest problem will engage with a pest control company to deploy andmonitor a number of PCDs throughout one or more warehouses. Thewarehouse facility can cover a significant land area having both insideand outside areas which may include a variety of storage areasinterconnected by various walkways which may be on a single level or mayinclude several different levels interconnected by stairs or ladders. Asnoted above, when PCDs are deployed they are preferably placed inlocations where the pest problem is perceived to be greatest and whichmay be in inconvenient places. The pest control company will documentwhere the PCDs have been deployed and then based on an agreement withthe facility/business owner, monitor the PCDs on a regular basis.

Depending on the type of problem (e.g. rat, mouse, insect), differenttypes of PCDs may be deployed.

As noted, PCDs may be categorized as poison type PCDs, live trappingPCDs and mechanical kill PCDs, each of which have various advantages anddisadvantages depending on the specific situation and objectives.

A poison type PCD is designed to lure the pest into the PCD, commonlyreferred to as a bait station, whereupon ideally the pest retrieves baitcontaining a poison, leaves the bait station and then subsequentlyconsumes the bait. The pest will then die away from the PCD. In the caseof rodents, the rodent may also carry enough poisoned bait away from thePCD to feed other animals (e.g. young) that do not enter the PCD.

Live traps can be designed to trap an animal or capture part of theanimal's body within a chamber whereupon depending on the design willeither allow the animal to die or enable retrieval of the live animalwhich can then be released in another location unharmed. These traps mayuse various mechanically activated systems to close off a chamber totrap the animal or may use other systems such as adhesives that cause ananimal to become adhered to a surface thus preventing them from leaving.

Mechanical kill traps are generally designed to quickly kill a pest bymechanical force when the pest activates a trigger.

Each type of PCD has various advantages and disadvantages in differentsituations.

Poison-type PCDs are advantaged by being able to eliminate a largernumber of animals from a certain quantity of bait. The poisoned animalwill typically perish away from the PCD and hence, the need to disposeof the animal's body may not be required. However, in various situationsparticularly humid or moist environments, this can also be adisadvantage in that the animal's body may decompose in an unknownlocation and lead to other undesirable effects including smells anddisease propagation. Moreover, the quantity of bait removed is notnecessarily correlated to the number of pests that may have beeneliminated.

Live PCDs are preferable to some people as a humane alternative if theanimal is not killed and can be relocated. However, handling of trapped,live animals can be difficult and is generally more costly due to theequipment and time required to relocate multiple animals. Moreover, byrelocating animals, one may simply be transferring the pest problem toanother location. Further still, if an animal is trapped and not removedquickly, it may die anyway from hunger and/or thirst, thus defeating thepurpose of it being a humane live trap. Hence, in certain situationsthese PCDs are further disadvantaged by the need to monitor them oneffectively a daily basis.

Generally, live PCDs that adhere a pest within the PCD may be quiteeffective for insect type pests but less so for rodents as a strugglingrodent may scare off other pests from entering the PCD. Moreover, suchPCDs also require a worker to handle dead, dying and/or decaying bodiesof the pest.

Mechanical kill PCDs can be effective and humane but have thedisadvantages of often needing to be reset and similar problems ofhandling dead, dying and/or decaying bodies of the pest. Also, once amechanical kill device has been triggered, it must usually be manuallyreset before becoming effective again.

Regardless of the type of PCD, the worker/agent inspecting or monitoringmultiple PCDs will be required to expend a certain amount of time withina facility investigating the status of each PCD. Within a facility, aworker is generally responsible for producing a report that indicatesthe number of PCDs inspected and the number of pests that have beencaptured or killed over a given time period. For poison type PCDs, thenumber of killed pests is loosely correlated to the amount of baitremoved.

In Applicant's previous patent application (PCT/CA2016/050860),incorporated herein by reference, systems and methods for improving theefficiency of collection of data from a plurality of PCDs are described.More specifically, in that application, a portable electronic devicecapable of wirelessly connecting to a plurality of PCDs and obtainingdata from the PCDs and reporting that data to a central database isdescribed.

The nature of pests' interactions with a PCD is varied and complex.Different animals/pests will interact with a PCD in a number ofdifferent ways depending on the type of the PCD, the design of the PCD,the bait being used and other factors. For example, in a bait stationtype PCD, rodents such as mice will be attracted to the odor of baitthat may emanate from the bait station. Drawn towards a bait station,the mouse will generally a) interact with the bait station and retrieveor consume the bait, b) interact with the bait station and not retrieveor consume the bait or c) approach the bait station and not interact. Ina given time period, there may also be no interactions by a pest with abait station.

Each type of interaction can provide useful information to a pestcontrol company that can then be used to learn about a pest problem, theeffectiveness of a pest control strategy, reporting to the customer aswell as subsequent adjustment or modification of the pest controlstrategy.

Ideally, both the pest control company and the customer desire accuratedata and the delivery of that data in a cost-effective way. That is, abalance between the cost of trapping equipment and the technicalsophistication of the equipment must be made to provide a practical costto a consumer. In other words, overly sophisticated and expensiveequipment will not be effective in the marketplace, particularly insituations where dozens or hundreds of PCDs must be deployed.

Accordingly, there has been a need for improved PCDs and the networksconnecting PCDs where the interaction of a pest with a PCD can beaccurately measured and data regarding how the pest interacted with thePCD can be obtained and analyzed. More specifically and in addition,there has been a need for systems that improve the process by which pestcontrol service personnel interact with a number of PCDs, as well asimproving the accuracy of information collected during monitoring andservice. In addition, there has been a need to reduce or eliminateunnecessary visits of the pest control personnel to facilities by remotemonitoring.

Different pests (e.g. mice vs. rats vs. insects) each have differentphysical and behavioral characteristics and will exhibit differentpatterns of interaction with a PCD. Mice are generally smaller than ratsand will generally show different movement patterns. For example, ratsmay move more slowly as compared to mice. Also, both mice and rats aregenerally careful creatures and will usually approach a PCD withcaution. When approaching or entering a PCD, they will usually not go inright away, may back off for a period of time, may wait in one areabefore eventually moving to an area where the bait may be. Similarly,insects will show different movement patterns as well.

For a pest control agent (PCA) who is responsible for accessing PCDs andreplacing bait and/or removing dead animals, the PCA wants to receivereliable information that accurately reports the status of PCDs andspecifically that minimizes both false positives and false negativeswith respect to the status of the PCD. That is, the PCA does not want toreceive an indication that a PCD status “requires attention” namely thatthe PCD is empty of bait or has a dead animal in it, go to the troubleof accessing the PCD only to discover that the status of the PCD is fineand does not require attention.

Similarly, the PCA does not want to receive an indication that the PCDstatus is “good” when in fact the PCD is empty of bait and/or a deadanimal is in the trap.

Further still, it is expected that over time, different PCDs withdifferent sensors will evolve such that a new system of PCDs having aparticular sensor array improves the accuracy of determining PCD statusby the new combination of sensors. In addition, data from different PCDsand different deployment situations will be collected over time thatrepresents the many different types of animate and in-animateinteractions of animals and other materials with a PCD. As such, as newfield data is collected and analyzed, it is also important to be able toeffectively update other PCDs in the system with software so that theaccuracy of interpreting interactions within other PCDs can be improved.

For example, a first system of PCDs with new sensors may be deployed inone area and a second series of PCDs with the new sensors are deployedin another area. All the PCDs may be initially deployed withsoftware/firmware that is understood to be effective. The first area mayreceive very little pest traffic initially whereas the second areareceives significantly higher traffic. Over time, data collected fromboth areas may be uploaded and analyzed where it is learned that changesto the filtering/processing of data results in improved accuracy. It maythen be determined that instances of false positives or false negativescan be improved via better filtering or processing of data. Hence, allPCDs in the system and/or portable monitoring devices that receive rawor filtered data from individual PCDs may need to be updated to improvethe ongoing accuracy.

PCDs will also be deployed in different areas having differentenvironmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity and otherconditions related to seasonal and weather changes) and significantvariations in the type and number of animals interacting with the PCDs.As such, there is a need to differentiate and understand the nature ofthose environmental and interaction differences.

Further still, there has also been a need for a system that enablesfiltering/processing equipment within the system to be upgraded with newprocessing algorithms over the time of a deployment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a pest controlsystem (PCS) comprising at least one pest control device (PCD) each PCDhaving: at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured todetect a body within a region of the PCD; a PCD controller operativelyconnected to the at least one sensor, the PCD controller configured toreceive raw data from the at least one sensor including device eventdata representing presence or movement of animate bodies adjacent the atleast one sensor; and, a wireless communication system operativelyconnected to the controller for transmitting data from the PCDcontroller to a relaying communication device (RCD) having an RCDcontroller.

In various embodiments, additional features of the system includevarious combinations of the following:

-   -   a. The PCD controller is configured to pre-filter the raw data        as device event data representing presence or movement of        animate bodies and non-live data representing presence or        movement of non-animate bodies.    -   b. The PCD controller is configured to transmit device event        data to the RCD and discard non-live event data.    -   c. The PCD controller is configured to transmit raw data to the        RCD.

In further embodiments, the PCS is configured to include one or more ofthe following:

-   -   a. The RCD is configured for operative communication with at        least one PCD and each RCD is configured to receive data from at        least one PCD controller and configured with an RCD analysis        algorithm to analyze the data to determine PCD status.    -   b. PCD status is designated as a) does-not-require-attention        or b) requires-attention and where the RCD includes a display        system configured to display PCD status.    -   c. The RCD includes an input system enabling a user to manually        verify if a PCD status as analyzed and displayed is true or        not-true, and wherein manually entered verification is defined        as verification data.    -   d. The PCS includes a central computer system (CCS) configured        to operatively connect to each RCD and upload raw data from each        PCD to the CCS.    -   e. Raw data from each PCD is correlated to the verification        data.    -   f. The CCS is configured with a CCS algorithm configured to        compare the verification data and the raw data to calculate a        frequency of false-positive and false-negative events associated        with particular raw data patterns.    -   g. The CCS is configured to back test a CCS algorithm on raw        data to determine the effectiveness of the CCS algorithm on        reducing the frequency of false-positive and false-negative        events.    -   h. The CCS is configured to update each PCD and RCD controller        with adjusted filtering and analysis algorithms.    -   i. The RCD controller is configured to filter raw data to        determine whether a PCD requires attention.    -   j. The PCS includes at least one mesh communication node device        operatively connected to at least one PCD and where        communication between the at least one PCD, mesh communication        node device and CCS is substantially continuous.    -   k. The at least one sensor is a capacitive sensor and the        capacitive sensor and PCD controller are configured to monitor a        combination of movement and activation signals where movement        signals include a frequency of movements adjacent the at least        one sensor and an activation signal corresponds to a detection        time and duration of a mass adjacent the at least one sensor.    -   l. The PCS is configured such that combinations of movement and        activation signals are analyzed by the RCD controller within        pre-defined time periods and where number and frequency        variations of movement and activation signals within the        pre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis of determining        the presence or absence of an animate object.    -   m. The PCS is configured such that the capacitive sensor and PCD        controller dynamically adjust an activation threshold for an        activation signal.    -   n. The capacitive sensor is a single electrode capacitive        sensor.

In another aspect a pest control device (PCD) is provided, the PCDhaving a PCD body having an entrance region and an event region and atleast one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to detect a bodywithin a region of the PCD body; a PCD controller operatively connectedto the at least one sensor, the PCD controller configured to analyze rawdata received from the at least one sensor; and, a wirelesscommunication system operatively connected to the PCD controller fortransmitting filtered data from the PCD controller to a relayingcommunication device (RCD).

In various aspects of the PCD, one or more of the following may beincluded:

-   -   a. The PCD controller is configured to pre-filter the raw data        as device event data representing presence or movement of        animate bodies and non-live data representing presence or        movement of non-animate bodies.    -   b. The PCD controller is configured to transmit device event        data to the RCD and discard non-live event data.    -   c. The PCD controller is configured to transmit raw data to the        RCD.    -   d. The PCD is a live or kill trap and the at least one sensor is        configured to the event region.    -   e. The PCD is a bait station and the at least one sensor is        configured to a sensor region located between the entrance        region and event region.    -   f. The at least one sensor is a capacitive sensor, the        capacitive sensor for detecting the movement of animate objects        past the entrance region towards the bait or trap region.    -   g. The capacitive sensor and PCD controller are enabled to        monitor a combination of movement and activation signals where        movement signals correspond to a frequency of movement adjacent        the at least one sensor and an activation signal corresponds to        a detection time and duration of a mass adjacent the at least        one sensor.    -   h. The RCD is configured to analyze raw data where combinations        of movement and activation signals are analyzed within        pre-defined time periods and where number and frequency        variations of movement and activation signals within the        pre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis of determining        the presence or absence of an animate object.    -   i. The sensor is a capacitive sensor and the capacitive sensor        and PCD controller are configured to dynamically adjust an        activation threshold for an activation signal.    -   j. The sensor is a single electrode capacitive sensor.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of collecting datafrom a plurality of pest control devices (PLDs), comprising the stepsof: within a PCD having: at least one sensor configured to detectmovement of an animate body within a region of the PCD; a PCD controlleroperatively connected to the at least one sensor and configured toanalyze raw data received from the at least one sensor; and, a wirelesscommunication system operatively connected to the PCD controller andconfigured to transmit any one of or a combination of raw data andpre-filtered raw event data from the controller to a relayingcommunication device (RCD);

-   -   a. analyzing raw data from the at least one sensor; and,    -   b. uploading data to a relaying communicating device (RCD).

In further embodiments of the method, the method may include:

-   -   a. a step of pre-filtering raw data between animate object data        and non-animate object data prior to uploading data to the RCD.    -   b. At the RCD, analyzing animate object data from the PCD based        on current pattern recognition algorithms and determining PCD        status as i) requires-attention or ii)        does-not-require-attention and iii) displaying PCD status to a        user.    -   c. Enabling a user to manually verify if a PCD status as        reported is true or not true, and wherein manually entered        verification is defined as verification data.    -   d. Enabling a central computer system (CCS) to operatively        connect to each RCD and where any one of or a combination of raw        data and pre-filtered raw data from each PCD is uploaded to the        CCS.    -   e. Correlating raw data from each PCD to the verification data.    -   f. Enabling analysis of the verification data and the raw data        at the CCS.    -   g. Configuring the CCS to back test an adjusted filtering        algorithm on past raw data to test the effectiveness of the        adjusted filtering algorithm.    -   h. Configuring the CCS to update each PCD and RCD with adjusted        filtering and analyzing algorithms.    -   i. Configuring each of the PCD and RCDs to a mesh communication        network.    -   j. Where the at least one sensor is a capacitive sensor,        enabling the capacitive sensor and controller to monitor a        combination of movement and activation signals where movement        signals correspond to a frequency of movement adjacent the at        least one sensor and an activation signal corresponds to a        detection time and duration of a mass adjacent the at least one        sensor.    -   k. Analyzing combinations of movement and activation signals        within pre-defined time periods and where number and frequency        variations of movement and activation signals within the        pre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis of determining        the presence or absence of an animate object.

l. Dynamically adjusting the capacitive sensor to adjust an activationthreshold for an activation signal.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a pest control device (PCD)comprising: a PCD body, the PCD having a floor and a wall systemdefining at least one passageway from outside the PCD body to inside thePCD body, the floor including an event zone, a sensor zone and anentrance zone, the event zone having means to attract a pest to interactwith the event zone, the event zone being positioned within the PCD bodysuch that a pest successively passes through the entrance zone andsensor zone to reach the event zone; and, a sensor system operativelyconfigured to the sensor zone, the sensor system configured to detectmovement of a pest from the entrance zone to the event zone, the sensorsystem including a wireless communication system having an antenna andwhere the sensor system is configured to the sensor zone and where thecommunication system and antenna are sealed within a sensor compartment.

In various embodiments, the PCD may further include any one or acombination of:

-   -   a. A PCD body having an external body and a separate floor and        wall system tray configured for placement within the PCD.    -   b. A sensor system including a printed circuit board (PCB), a        battery power system and at least one movement sensor and where        the printed circuit board, battery power system and at least one        movement sensor are positioned flat against the underside of the        floor and where the movement sensor is operative through the        floor to detect movement on an upper surface of the floor in the        sensor zone.    -   c. An antenna projecting through the floor and contained within        an antenna cavity.    -   d. A sensor system permanently sealed within the sensor        compartment.    -   e. A PCD body including a separate and retro-fit floor system,        where the retro-fit floor system can be selectively positioned        and removed from the PCD body.    -   f. A capacitive sensor operatively positioned on the underside        of the sensor zone.    -   g. The sensor system includes a single electrode capacitive        sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying figures inwhich:

FIG. 1A is an overhead view of a facility in which a rodent controlagent is using a portable electronic device to inspect three rodent PCDslocated within the facility.

FIG. 1B is a schematic showing the interaction between the portableelectronic device and the PCDs within range.

FIG. 2A is an overhead view of a facility in which a rodent controlagent is using a portable electronic device to inspect ten rodent PCDslocated within the facility.

FIG. 2B is a schematic showing the interaction between the portableelectronic device and the PCDs within range.

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing the components of a pest controlsystem and how they interact in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a network of devices of a pest controlsystem and how they interact in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing the interaction between the portableelectronic device and a pest control trap utilizing an adhesive.

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are schematic plan views of various PCDs and typicalmovement patterns of a pest in those PCDs.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are sketches showing typical movement andactivation patterns on a capacitive sensor in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a sketch of how raw data may be collected and filtered inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process of collecting, evaluating andreporting data collected at a PCD in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process of collecting, evaluating andreporting data collected at a portable device in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of collecting, evaluating andreporting data collected from a wide area network in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are top and bottom perspective views of a bait stationpest control device (PCD) in a closed configuration in accordance withone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11C is a perspective view of a bait station PCD with an open lid inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11D and 11E are bottom and top perspective and exploded views ofthe underside of a bait station PCD tray showing the positioning of aprinted circuit board (PCB) with an integral antenna and PCB cover inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11F is a perspective and exploded view of the underside of a baitstation PCD tray showing the positioning of a printed circuit board(PCB) against the underside of the PCD tray in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11G a perspective view of the underside of a bait station PCD trayas in FIG. 11F with a PCB cover in place in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11H a perspective top view of a bait station PCB board with antennaprojecting upwardly in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, systems and methods of obtaining datafrom pest control devices (PCDs) are described that incorporate sensorand control systems enabling improved identification of device events.In addition, systems and methods of filtering device event data andusing device event data across a plurality of PCDs to improveidentification of device events are described.

In the context of the description herein, PCDs generally relate topoison, live and kill PCDs having systems that monitor device events.PCDs may actively capture animals/creatures or may enable ananimal/creature to engage with poison bait to cause subsequent effect.For the purposes of general description, systems are described inrelation to rodents although it is understood that systems enablingcontrolling other animals/creatures including insects are contemplated.

Within this description, “device events” are events where an animal(also referred to as “live events”) is physically restrained within aPCD or engages with and removes bait from the PCD. “Approach events” areevents where an animal approaches/enters a PCD but does not activate atrapping mechanism or engages with and removes bait. Other eventsinclude “non-animal events” (also referred to as “non-live events”) witha PCD and can include events where other physical objects may come intocontact with the PCD including debris. “No events” is the status of aPCD if no animals have interacted with the PCD.

System Overview

Generally, the invention includes a portable electronic deviceconfigured to receive local wireless communications signals from one ormore PCDs within a range, the PCDs being configured to monitoractivation of a PCD when a rodent has been trapped or has engaged withand removed bait from the PCD (i.e. a device event). The portableelectronic device is configured, in response to the received localwireless communications signals: to identify at least one of themultiple PCDs in range which have had a device event; and to provide anindication to a user of the device events. Allowing the user todetermine whether the PCDs have had device events remotely mitigates theneed for a manual or visual inspection to obtain this information.

FIGS. 1A-1B, show a first embodiment of a portable electronic device 101which, in this case, is a portable electronic device being used by arodent/pest control agent (the user 181) to determine whether any of thePCDs 151 a-c within a range 121 have had a device event. The portableelectronic device may be for example, a smart phone or tablet or laptopcomputer configured with application software of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a typical facility 191, in this case anoffice. It will be appreciated that pest control may be used in otherfacilities such as warehouses, farms, storage buildings, granaries,shops, trucks, kitchens or houses.

In this case, the office has been supplied with three rodent PCDs 151a-c placed at various locations within the office facility 191. Therodent control agent user 181 is inspecting the various PCDs within theoffice facility 191 using a portable electronic device 101. In thiscase, the portable electronic device 101 is configured to receive localwireless communications signals from multiple rodent PCDs within a range121, the rodent PCDs being configured to determine if a device event hasoccurred, wherein the portable electronic device 101 is configured, inresponse to the received local wireless communications signals: toidentify at least one of the multiple PCDs 151 a-c in range 121 whichhave had a device event or not; and to provide an indication 102 to auser of the device and/or other events for a PCD.

As the user passes through the office facility 191, one or more PCDsmove into the range 121 of the portable electronic device. In thesituation shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, two PCDs 151 a-b are within rangeand one device 151 c is out of range. It will be appreciated that as theportable electronic device is moved through the facility, PCDs whichpreviously were out of range may come within range thereby enabling theportable electronic device to interact with them.

In this case, the portable electronic device comprises a short-rangeradio frequency transceiver with a range of about 20-100 feet (6-30meters). The transceiver is configured to provide a broadcast signal toany rodent PCDs within the range 121 in order to prompt transmission ofthe local wireless communications signals 156 a-b from the PCDs withinrange. To enable transmission of the local wireless communicationssignals, each PCD comprises a transmitter 153 a-c configured to transmitshort-range radio frequency local wireless communication signals.

It will be appreciated that each transmitter 153 a-c may form part of anactivation-detection module, the activation-detection module comprising:a connector, the connector configured to connect theactivation-detection module to the PCD; a sensor, the sensor connectedto a controller and configured to sense when the PCD has had a deviceevent; and a transmitter, the transmitter connected to the controllerand configured to transmit data relating to the device event. The modulemay have a small form factor (e.g. 1 inch diameter module).

By prompting transmission of the local wireless communications signals156 a-b, the energy consumption of the PCD transmitter may be reduced asthe PCD transmitter need only be active when an appropriately configuredportable electronic device is within range. In addition, the PCDtransmitter may reduce power consumption by transmitting the localwireless communication signals in a narrow beam directed towards theportable electronic device (e.g. a unicast transmission) rather thantransmitting broadcast local wireless communications signals. The localwireless communications signals, in this case, also comprise short-rangeradio frequency signals.

FIG. 1B shows the interaction between the PCDs 151 a-c and the portableelectronic device 101.

In a first example, each of the rodent PCDs 151 a-c comprises anon-lethal PCD. The non-lethal PCDs 151 a-c each comprises a chamber 155a-c with an activation member 152 a-c, which in this case is aspring-loaded door. The spring-loaded door is configured to move from afirst primed position (in this case, when the spring-loaded door isopen) to a second activated position (in this case, when thespring-loaded door is closed) in order to trap a rodent 154 a, 154 c.

The spring-loaded door activation member 152 a-c is controlled in thiscase, by a trigger (not shown) configured to initiate movement of theactivation member from the first primed position to a second activatedposition. In this case, the trigger comprises an infrared trigger sensorconfigured to determine when a rodent is in the chamber by detecting therodent's body heat.

As described in greater detail below, it will be appreciated that othersensors may be used to detect the presence of a rodent such as one ormore of: a capacitive sensor, a vibration sensor and/or an opticalsensor. In this case, when the sensor detects a rodent in the chamber itsends a signal (e.g. wired or wireless signal) to a trap controllerwhich, in response to receiving the trigger signal, enables release ofthe spring-loaded door from the primed position to the activated closedposition thereby trapping the rodent in the chamber. In otherembodiments, the trigger may comprise a mechanical trigger.

The trigger sensor, in this case, also serves as an activation sensorconfigured to determine when the PCD is activated. That is, the triggersensor also sends a signal to the trap controller indicating that thePCD has been activated (i.e. a device event). It will be appreciatedthat in some embodiments, the PCD may comprise a first sensor configuredto activate the PCD, and a second distinct sensor configured todetermine whether the PCD has been activated.

In this case, the trap controller is configured, in response toreceiving the activation sensor signal and the prompt signal from theportable electronic device, to enable transmission by the transmitter153 a-c of an activated local wireless communications signal. In thiscase, the device controller is also configured, in response to receivingthe prompt signal from the portable electronic device when an activationsensor signal has not been received, to enable transmission by thetransmitter 153 a-c of an unactivated local wireless communicationssignal (e.g. a no event signal that comprises information relating tothe unactivated state of the trap). In other embodiments, transmissionis always enabled but will transmit different information depending onwhether the sensor has been activated or not as explained in greaterdetail below.

In the case shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, one of the rodent PCDs 151 a withinrange has been activated and one of the rodent PCDs 151 b within rangehas not been activated.

In this embodiment, the portable electronic device is configured toreceive local wireless communications signaling from PCDs within rangewhich have been activated and PCDs which have not been activated. Inthis case, the portable electronic device comprises a processor and amemory which is configured to identify each of the PCDs in range basedon information encoded in the local wireless communication signals. Thatis, each of the PCDs are configured to transmit local wirelesscommunication signals comprising identification information as well asinformation relating to whether the PCD has been activated.

In this case, the portable electronic device controller is configured todetermine whether the received local wireless communications signalincludes a device signal to determine whether or not the PCD has beenactivated.

In this case, the portable electronic device controller 101 provides avisual indication of the device-status information to the user in theform of a table displayed on a screen with each PCD within range beingidentified on the screen by a letter (device 151 a corresponding to theletter ‘A’, and device 151 b corresponding to the letter ‘B’); and anassociated tick 102 indicating that the device has had a device event ora cross 105 indicating that the device has not had a device event.

In addition, the portable electronic device is configured to receive andprocess activation time information from the activated rodent PCDs. Inthis case, the device controllers are configured to record the date andtime that the PCD was activated and transmit this information to theportable electronic device via the local wireless communication signals.This information is decoded by the portable electronic device 101 anddisplayed on screen 103.

This activation time information may be useful in determining a strategyfor placing and/or inspecting the PCDs within a facility. In this casethe PCD is configured to enable provision of data to an externalelectronic device, the data comprising information on which of themultiple PCDs had been activated. The provision of data may be enabledby transmitting information wirelessly (e.g. via W-Fi, Bluetooth®)and/or by storing information locally on the portable electronic devicefor later retrieval (using, for example, a USB stick, or a wired orwireless connection).

FIGS. 2A-2B, show a second embodiment of a portable electronic devicewhich, in this case, is a tablet computer being used by a rodent controlagent to determine whether a number of PCDs have been activated.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a facility, in this case a warehouse storingcattle feedstuffs stored on pallets.

In this case, the warehouse has been supplied with ten PCDs placed atvarious locations within the warehouse facility. The rodent controlagent 281 user is inspecting the various PCDs 251 a-j within the officefacility using a portable electronic device 201. It will be appreciatedthat PCDs in a warehouse may be difficult to locate as they may bestored within the pallets or high up and out of reach. In this case, theportable electronic device is configured to receive local wirelesscommunications signals 256 a,b,d from multiple PCDs within a range, thePCDs being configured to activate in order to trap a rodent, wherein theportable electronic device is configured, in response to the receivedlocal wireless communications signals: to identify at least one of themultiple PCDs in range 221 which have been activated; and to provide anindication 256 a-d to a user of the at least one identified activatedPCDs.

As the rodent control agent user 281 passes through the warehousefacility 291, one or more PCDs move into the range of the portableelectronic device. In the situation shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, four PCDs251 a-d are within range and six PCDs 251 e-j are out of range. It willbe appreciated that as the portable electronic device is moved throughthe facility PCDs which previously were out of range may come withinrange thereby enabling the portable electronic device to interact withthem.

In this case, the portable electronic device 201 comprises a short-rangeradio frequency receiver. The receiver is configured to receive localwireless communication signal broadcasts from the PCDs. Unlike theprevious embodiment, the PCDs in this case are configured to transmitbroadcast wireless communication signals 256 a,b,d when they have beenactivated. PCDs which have not been activated are configured not totransmit broadcast wireless communication signals. By only transmittinglocal wireless communications signals when the PCD has been activated,the energy consumption of the PCD transmitter may be reduced.

FIG. 2B shows the interaction between the PCDs and the portableelectronic device.

In this case, each of the PCDs 251 a-j is configured to kill the rodent254 a,b,d. In this case the PCDs 251 a-j each comprises a spring-loadedbar trap. In this case the activation member 252 a-d is a spring-loadedbar but can be in various embodiments other humane killing systems.

The spring-loaded door activation member is controlled, in this case, bya trigger configured to initiate movement of the activation member 252a-d from the first primed position to a second activated position. Inthis case, the trigger comprises mechanical trigger mechanism configuredto hold the spring-loaded bar 252 a-d in the primed position. When therodent moves the mechanical trigger mechanism (e.g. by moving baitattached to the mechanical trigger mechanism), the spring-loaded bar 252a-d is released to move from the open primed position to the closedactivated position.

Each PCD in this case also comprises an activation sensor which, in thiscase, is a micro-switch configured to be turned on when thespring-loaded bar activation member 252 a-d is in the closed activatedposition. When the activation sensor is activated the PCD is configuredto broadcast local wireless communication signals via a transmitter 253a-d.

In this embodiment, the portable electronic device 201 is configured toreceive local wireless communications 256 a,b,d signaling from PCDswithin range which have been activated. In this case, the portableelectronic device is configured to identify the at least one of themultiple PCDs in range based on the angle of incidence of the localwireless communication signals. That is, in this embodiment, the localwireless communication signaling provided by the various activated PCDsare the same. However, the portable electronic device 201 is in thiscase configured to identify and distinguish between the PCDs based onthe location of the PCDs. In order to do this, the portable electronicdevice comprises a phased-array antenna configured to measure the angleof incidence of the incoming local wireless communications signaling foreach of the activated PCDs. It will be appreciated that by configuringthe portable electronic device to distinguish between the PCDs based onthe angle of incidence of the local wireless communication signaling,PCDs may be mass produced to transmit the same activation signalingbecause it mitigates the need for the PCDs to transmit identifyingsignals.

In this case the portable electronic device 201 provides the informationto the user visually in the form of an arrow indication 257 a,b,d, eacharrow indication indicating the location of an activated PCD 251 a,b,drelative to the portable electronic device (and to the user). It will beappreciated that other indications may be used to indicate the relativeor absolute position of a PCD. The angle of the arrow indication 257a,b,d indicates the direction to the corresponding activated PCD and thelength of the arrow indication 257 a,b,d indicates the proximity of thecorresponding activated PCD (short arrows indicate a close proximity andlong arrows indicate that a PCD is farther away). It will be appreciatedthat by providing a location indication, the user does not need to knowbeforehand where the PCDs have been positioned. This may be particularlyuseful where the PCDs may be moved with time (e.g. a PCD located in apallet being moved with the pallet) or where there is no set locationfor PCD (e.g. a rodent control agent inspecting PCDs in truckstransporting foodstuffs long-distance).

In addition, in this case, the portable electronic device is configuredto generate activation time information associated with the activatedrodent PCDs. In this case, the portable electronic device is configuredto record the number of activated PCDs in a particular facility for agiven inspection. This activation time information may be useful indetermining a strategy for placing and/or inspecting the PCDs within afacility. In this case the portable electronic is configured to enableprovision of data to an external electronic device, the data comprisinginformation on which of the multiple PCDs had been activated. Theprovision of data may be enabled by transmitting information wirelessly(e.g. via W-Fi, Bluetooth®) and/or by storing information locally on theportable electronic device for later retrieval (using, for example, aUSB stick, or a wired or wireless connection).

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, one or more of thePCDs may have one or more condition sensors comprising at least one of:a temperature sensor (e.g. a thermocouple or other thermometer); and ahumidity sensor. The PCD may be configured to transmit recordedcondition data such as temperature and/or humidity data (e.g. to theportable electronic device or other remote device). The condition sensormay be configured to measure the condition of the bait directly and/orthe environment around the bait (e.g. the humidity within the chamber ofa box trap).

General Communication Scheme

FIG. 3A is a schematic showing the components of a pest control systemand how they interact.

In this case, the pest control system comprises a portable electronicdevice 301; a number of rodent PCDs 351 a-n; a network 381; computers382 a-b; and a database 383.

The PCDs, in this case, comprise a trap mechanism 360 a-n (e.g. a jawtrap mechanism, a spring-loaded bar mechanism) configured to trap arodent by capturing or killing it. In this case, the trap mechanism 360a-n is configured to be activated in response to receiving a signal fromthe device controller (which may comprise a processor, a memory andcomputer program code). The device controller, in this case, isconfigured to activate the trap mechanism in response to receiving atrigger signal from the trigger sensor (e.g. an IR sensor or a vibrationsensor). The trigger sensor is configured to detect the presence of arodent in the trap. It will be appreciated that other PCDs may have amechanical trigger rather than a trigger sensor 359 a-n. In variousembodiments, this can be done in reverse, namely activation of amechanical switch followed by an electronic sensor.

In this case, the PCD comprises a separate activation sensor 358 a-n(e.g. a micro switch) configured to sense when the trap mechanism hasbeen activated. It will be appreciated that, as described in a previousembodiment, the trigger sensor may be the same as the activation sensor.In response to receiving a signal from the activation sensor, the devicecontroller is configured to enable transmission of local wirelesscommunication signaling indicating that the PCD has been activated. Thetransmission is facilitated by the PCD having a transmitter 353 a-n.

It will be appreciated that the controller 357 a-n, the activationsensor 358 a-n, the trigger sensor 359 a-n and the transmitter in eachtrap 351 a-n may form part of an activation-detection module which maybe retrofit to the trap mechanism 360 a-n.

In this case, the portable electronic device 301 comprises a devicecontroller 309 which includes a processor 310 (e.g. an ASIC), and memory311 having computer program code 312 which, when run on the processor,controls the function of the portable electronic device. In this case,the portable electronic device also comprises a receiver 305 configuredto receive local wireless communication signals from PCDs within range.The received local wireless communication signals are processed by thecontroller 309.

The device controller is configured to process the received localwireless communication signals in order to identify the PCD whichtransmitted the signals. The device controller may also be configured todetermine a time associated with the trap activation.

The portable electronic device further comprises a user interface 306which, in this case, comprises a display 307 and a speaker 308 in orderto enable the provision of an indication to the user of one or moreactivated PCD. It will be appreciated that other embodiments may havedifferent user interface components.

The portable electronic device 301, in this case, is also configured toenable connection with a network 381 (e.g. the internet) to facilitatetransfer of data from the portable electronic device to the network.This may allow data associated with each PCD to be stored on a computer382 a-b or in a database 383. It will be appreciated that otherembodiments may facilitate direct communication with an externalcomputer or database. While described as a portable electronic device,in some embodiments and for some deployments, the portable electronicdevice may be in a fixed location.

FIG. 3B shows a network configuration utilizing mesh communicationtechnology. Generally, a plurality of nodes 30 is established at afacility which may be fixed or mobile repeater devices. Each repeaterdevice operates to relay information between PCDs 30 a and other networkdevices including portable electronic devices 30 b and/or gateways 30 cto a central computer system 30 d and various workstations 30 e that maybe connected to the internet. In addition, each PCD may also beconfigured to communicate with a portable electronic device viaalternate communication protocols such as Bluetooth™.

A mesh network (Bluetooth™ mesh communication, Zigbee™ etc.) providesvarious advantages over other communications systems in that data may bedynamically relayed via other nodes in the mesh in the event of breakinga communication link from one device to another for example due to themovement of a PCD from one location to another. As such, depending onthe deployment, the system may enable substantially continuous andflexible communication between the end PCDs and the central computersystem of the pest control system.

As such, in large facilities where dozens or hundreds of PCDs may bedeployed and where PCDs may be moved over the course of a day, the PCDsmay have continuous and/or semi-continuous communication with thecentral computer system.

Importantly, this functionality enables updates to be communicated backto PCDs as the updates occur rather than requiring a PCA to be within afacility to have any updates communicated. In addition, in somedeployments, data about the status of PCDs can be uploaded and reviewedwithout the necessity of having a PCA on site to receive PCD status.This can be effective in determining when a PCA may visit a site as avisit may be planned only when PCDs require attention.

In one embodiment, advanced Bluetooth™ technologies may be implementedthat incorporate angle estimation techniques for real-time locationing(RTLS). Generally, the angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure(AoD) are determined using arrays of antenna and processors that can seephase differences from a beacon signal at the different antennae.

As can be appreciated, RTLS can provide operators with dynamicinformation about the location of PCDs and improve the speed andaccuracy by which PCDs may be serviced. For example, in situations wherePCD status information is available in substantially real-time at thecentral computer system, a service call may be made using fewer PCAresources and/or the call may be completed in a shorter time period, ifthe PCA knows in advance which traps require service and the location ofthose traps.

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing an insect pest trap interacting with aportable electronic device.

In this case, the pest trap includes an adhesive surface 478 configuredto immobilize one or more pests (insects 454 a,b in this case); a sensorconfigured 479 to detect the presence of one or more pests on theadhesive surface, the sensor configured to transmit data correspondingthe detected presence of one or more pests to a controller (not shown);and a transmitter 453, the transmitter being connected to the controllerand configured to transmit data to a remote electronic device 401.

In this case, the pest trap 451 is configured to immobilize the insects454 a,b by the insects being stuck to the adhesive strip 478. It will beappreciated that the adhesive strip may comprise bait to attract thepests to the adhesive strip.

The trap 451 in this case comprises an activation sensor which, in thiscase, is a vibration sensor configured to detect the vibration of theinsects on the adhesive. When the activation sensor is activated thetrap is configured to broadcast local wireless communication signals viaa transmitter 453. It will be appreciated that other embodiments may useother sensors such as IR sensors or capacitive sensors to detect thepresence of pests.

In this embodiment, the portable electronic device 401 is configured toreceive local wireless communications 456 signaling from PCDs withinrange which have been activated. In this case, the portable electronicdevice 401 is configured to identify the at least one of the multiplePCDs in range based on the angle of incidence or angle of arrival of thelocal wireless communication signals.

In this case the portable electronic device 401 provides the informationto the user visually in the form of a bar which gives an indication ofthe strength of the vibrations which can be correlated to the sizeand/or mass of the trapped insects. This allows the user to determinewhether the adhesive strip needs to be replaced.

In addition, the PCDs are configured to generate activation timeinformation associated with the activated PCDs. This activation timeinformation may be useful in determining a strategy for placing and/orinspecting the PCDs within a facility. In this case, the portableelectronic device is configured to enable provision of data to anexternal electronic device, the data comprising information on which ofthe multiple PCDs had been activated. The provision of data may beenabled by transmitting information wirelessly (e.g. via W-Fi,Bluetooth®) and/or by storing information locally on the portableelectronic device for later retrieval (using, for example, a USB stick,or a wired or wireless connection).

It will be appreciated that the trap 251 may comprise a replaceable trapmechanism (e.g. the adhesive strip) and a retrofitableactivation-detection module including a connector, the connectorconfigured to connect the activation-detection module to the pestcontrol trap; a sensor, the sensor connected to a controller andconfigured to sense when the pest control trap has been activated; and atransmitter, the transmitter connected to the controller and configuredto transmit data relating to the activation of the pest control trap.

This may allow the activation detection module to be reused when theadhesive strip is exhausted. In this case, the connector may simply be aportion of the housing which connects to the adhesive strip to allowvibrations to pass between the adhesive strip and the vibration sensor.

For poison bait PCDs, the interaction of an animal/insect is morecomplex and the identification of device events that constitutelegitimate situations where an animal has entered the PCD and removedbait is more difficult to accurately ascertain. That is, as compared totrap systems where the animal is trapped or killed, multiple deviceevents may occur where the same or different animals enter the PCD andremove bait. In addition, approach events may occur where an animalapproaches the PCD but does not fully interact with the PCD (e.g. sniffaround and leave because it is unfamiliar). As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B,a schematic plan view of a PCD 10 having one (FIG. 5A) or two (FIG. 5B)distinct bait locations is shown together with representativeinteractions of a mouse with those PCDs.

FIG. 5A shows a PCD having an entrance area 10 a and a bait area 10 b aswell as bait station 13. The PCD is configured with two sensors 12 a and12 b which detect the movement of an animal into and/or through eacharea. As shown, the dashed line 14 a shows a mouse entering the entrancearea 10 a and then departing whereas the dashed line 14 b shows a mousemoving through the entrance area into the bait area 10 b, to the baitstation 13 and then leaving. FIG. 5B shows a different design of PCDhaving two bait stations with a common entrance 10 a. Solid line 14 cshows the path of an animal moving through the entrance area, dottedline 14 d shows the path of an animal interacting with one bait station13 and dashed line 14 e shows an animal visiting two bait stations 13.

FIG. 5C shows a schematic plan view of adhesive type PCD having anadhesive floor 16 in the bait area 10 b. This example is also shown withoptional gates 18 that may be activated by an animal engaging withsensor 12 a or a trigger adjacent the gate. Line 14 f showsrepresentative movement of an animal onto the adhesive 16.

Depending on whether each PCD is configured with a single sensor withinthe bait area or sensors at both the entrance area and bait area willprovide additional information about the interaction of the animals withthe PCD. Furthermore, in various embodiments, additional sensors may beconfigured to the bait stations and provide data about the actualinteraction with the bait and, hence, more accurate monitoring of thebait. It will be appreciated that different designs will have differentcosts and, hence, while more sensors may provide additional and moreaccurate information, this additional information may not be required orwanted by different customers.

In various embodiments, each sensor (entrance area, bait area, bait,etc.) are capacitive sensors and preferably single-electrode capacitivesensors, operatively configured to the floor or walls of a PCD thatproduces signals in response to different stimuli at, near or on thesensor.

As can be seen from the above movement patterns, the movements of ananimal can be quite varied and the above described patterns are onlyrepresentative of what may be observed in the real world. Importantly,the movement patterns observed will often include movements of inanimateobjects which can include various forms of contamination of the PCD thatwill change over time. As such, the sensor system is designed todifferentiate between movements of animals and inanimate objectsincluding contamination of the sensors.

In one embodiment, the sensors are configured to differentiate betweenanimate and inanimate objects by detecting/monitoring activation eventsand movement events. Activation events are generally those events thatrepresent the appearance of a larger mass near or over the sensorwhereas movement events generally represent multiple movements within agiven time frame and generally at a lower relative threshold compared toan activation event. The frequency of signals, the rate of change offrequency, time of and time between signal bundles as well as statisticsrelating to each of these factors can be used to interpret the type ofevent that may be occurring.

The ability to detect both activation events and movement events with ahigh degree of sensitivity is best achieved utilizing single electrodecapacitive sensors as opposed to two electrode capacitive sensors. Thatis, two-electrode capacitor sensors generally rely on a body having adielectric different than air to provide a conductive path betweenseparated electrodes (i.e. a probe and a target) that have an appliedvoltage across them. With these sensors, as the body comes close to theelectrodes, the body will affect the voltage across the electrodes. Achange in voltage can be used to determine an event. However,two-electrode capacitive sensors generally do not have the sensitivityand hence, precision of a single-electrode capacitive sensor (SECS).

A SECS measures against a target surface that is electrically connectedto ground. SECS can provide a high resolution in detecting events butgenerally require that the characteristics of the target surface bemanaged to provide that high resolution. SECS are controlled by amicro-controller that can dynamically adjust sensitivity thresholds.

As shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D, different representative signalsfrom a SECS configured to detect and monitor activation and movementevents are shown. Generally, in this case, a SECS is set up to detectcapacitive events on the sensor having different thresholds. Forexample, FIG. 6A shows a representative situation showing detectedmovement events but no activation events. In this case, this signalpattern could be attributed to the random movement of small debris overthe sensor and not to the movement of an animal.

FIG. 6B shows a representative situation showing both movement andactivation events that could be attributed to live animal movement overthe SECS. In this case, the combination of both movement and activationevents occurring at the same time together with movement signals on bothsides of the activation signal could form the basis of an animate objectrecognition pattern.

FIG. 6C shows a representative situation of a longer activation signalwith less frequent and random movement signals that could be attributedto a stationary or slow moving mass on the sensor that could beattributable to an inanimate larger mass on the sensor (e.g. a deadanimal or water contamination). Also, this could be attributed to alarger animal. As such, the patterns shown in FIG. 6C may be moredifficult to understand and without refinement could potentially lead toa false positive or false negative decision being made.

FIG. 6D show a representative situation of an animal approaching asensor. In this example, the animal (e.g. a mouse) cautiously approachesthe sensor with a halting and back and forth movement, as the animalsniffs around the sensor. The back and forth and side to side movementof the mouse's head, nose and whiskers will initially trigger movementpulses on the sensor potentially as the mouse's whiskers brush over thesensor. As the mouse moves onto the sensor, an activation pulse istriggered which due to the size of the mouse's body creates a largercapacitive signal. As the mouse moves over the sensor, multiple movementand relatively high frequency pulses are detected from the movement ofthe mouse's legs, feet, etc. As the mouse moves off the sensor, theactivation pulse disappears but the continued lower mass movements suchas from the mouse's tail may continue to produce movement pulses untilthe mouse moves past the sensor. In this case, this pattern may quiteclearly represent the movement of a mouse.

All of the above is coupled to knowledge of the layout of the PCDincluding the type, number and position of the one or more sensors asshown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, such that the movement of the mouse can beinterpreted. For example, in the PCD shown in FIG. 5A, each sensor 12 a,12 b would register the signal pattern of a mouse travelling over eachsensor two times if the mouse had entered the bait area 10 b and thenleft the PCD as per pathway 14 b. This would be distinguished from themovement pattern 14 a where sensor 12 a registered animal movement ontoand off the sensor but sensor 12 b did not. Hence, the former could beinterpreted as an event where bait was retrieved while the latter wouldnot. Importantly, many other movement patterns can occur as discussedbelow.

Table 1 shows representative and qualitative examples of differentevents that could occur within a PCD and the different signal patternsthat could be received by different masses/bodies interacting with asensor in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Importantly,time and frequency considerations can be used to determine thelikelihood of a particular type of movement be it animate or inanimate.

TABLE 1 Qualitative Examples of Signals at an Activation Sensor andMovement Sensor from Different Body Type Inputs Activation SensorMovement Sensor Body Type (AS) (MS) Comments Small Debris blown Randomactivation None to a few Small debris will in and out (e.g. thendeactivation random pulses generally move Leaf or Stick) randomly basedon external environmental factors Small Debris blown Random ActivationNone to a few Small debris may in (e.g. Leaf or and no Deactivationrandom pulses be blown onto a Stick) sensor and remain on the sensor.Small Mouse General sequence of MS pulses, AS A small mouse may pulse,AS deactivation; MS pulses. AS be detected by MS pulse may be overlaidwith MS pulses. pulses during its Two signals may be required tointerpret approach and by movement to and from PCD. MS pulses as itleaves. Larger Mouse As above with higher AS threshold Rat As above withhigher AS threshold Multiple Mice (2) Longer AS pulse Tighter clustersof Movement of MS pulses multiple mice will be variable Insect Lower ASthreshold Higher frequency Insects having a MS pulses lower mass willshow a lower AS threshold. Water Ingress AS pulse No MS pulsesContamination from (potentially water that lands on continuous) thesensor may cause an AS pulse. External Vibration Patterned MSEnvironmental pulses effects from nearby equipment may create patternsof pulses. Other Debris Random Activation None to a few Feces, urine,dead and no Deactivation random pulses animals, food particles

Importantly, SECS in a PCD may be subject to a variety of contaminationsover a period of time which makes it more difficult to ascertain thepresence of an animal as the animal's presence may be “masked” by thepresence of contaminants including those as shown in Table 1.

Thus, over time as a sensor may become contaminated, the sensor systempreferably adjusts for the effect of such contamination. That is, overtime as the control system compares a measured capacitance with athreshold, if the sensor has become contaminated, the control system ofthe sensor will dynamically adjust the signal threshold to account forthe progressive contamination.

For example, at time zero when a clean and fresh PCD is deployed, thesensor will have a first signal threshold. If an animal is the firstobject to interact with the PCD, and the animal cleanly moves off thePCD, the signal threshold will remain at that first threshold. However,if the animal contaminates the PCD during its interaction (e.g. urine orfeces), the sensor may then measure an activation signal which stays“on”. If the control system determines that this signal is likelycontamination (e.g. through the absence of any movement signals over aperiod of time), the signal threshold would be reset such that newbodies appearing on the sensor would be recognized. As such, and as timeprogresses, the threshold that recognizes body movements willdynamically adjust.

When a PCD is reset and cleaned, the signal threshold would be reset toa base level. The sensor controller may also adjust a threshold down,for example in the case of fluids evaporation off the sensor.

In kill type PCDs, movement data may not be monitored but may justinclude a signal indicating activation of the trapping mechanism.

Filtering

PCD Level Filtering

At the PCD level, raw data is collected which will include activationand movement signals from each sensor. Depending on the PCD, and thefrequency of visits and activations, the amount of raw data collectedfrom each PCD may be significant and under various scenarios, it wouldbe inefficient to upload all data to the portable device. Accordingly,prefiltering of the raw data at the PCD level in some cases isdesirable.

FIG. 7 shows a potential event scenario. As shown, over a representativeperiod of 20 minutes, a PCD may have experienced two events that can beinterpreted as an animal incursion. The signal patterns established byeach event are characterized as “ticks” that occur at specific times(relative to a controller's clock) and a specific resolution (e.g. 2 s).For example, event 1 is characterized by 3 “signatures” (1, 2, 3) andevent 2 also by 3 signatures (4, 5, 6). At the raw data level (i.e. atthe PCD), each signature is characterized by a number of activation andmovement pulses that may be obtained at a higher resolution (e.g. 30microseconds). Thus, a signature is characterized as a pattern ofactivation and movement pulses that may result from scenarios asoutlined in Table 1. Accordingly, all events including animal andnon-animal events will generate raw data at a relatively highresolution. This data may be evaluated or filtered to identify whetherthe event is an animal or non-animal event based on filtering algorithmsat the portable device level. The data associated with non-animal eventsmay be discarded.

Generally, it is desirable that an efficient amount of data is movedfrom each PCD to the portable devices and to the central computersystem. If a continuous communication system is established (e.g.through a fixed node mesh communication system), data may be transferredsubstantially on demand. If a communication system utilizing moving PDsand/or nodes is established, consideration for the speed of movement ofthe PD is required to ensure that during the time of communicationbetween the PD and PCD, sufficient time exists for the quantity of datato be transferred. Hence, the system may be set up in order that themost relevant data is transferred which may not be data at the highestresolution.

In one example, an animal event, namely one or more raw data events thatare identified as potentially representing an animal will be marked as a“group” having a “timestamp”. The time periods between groups willenable a “device event” to be identified that represents an animalincursion. The analysis may include analysis of time and changes of thefrequencies of signals and other factors as mentioned above. Forexample, a first group may be associated with an animal moving over asensor a first time, and a second group associated with an animal movingover a sensor a second time. If the two groups occurred within aspecific time interval, the controller would identify the groups as ananimal event. In PCDs/systems having more than 1 sensor, the number ofgroups required to constitute an event would normally be greater.

Importantly, the location of decision making can be made at a PCD or aPD; however, in most deployments, a PD (e.g. tablet or smart phone)having appropriate application software and access to the internet willbe preferred.

FIG. 8 is a representative flowchart showing a possible control schemefor a PCD having a sensor control system, a processor and wirelesscommunication system. Initially, the PCD is powered up 80, typically atthe time the agent is deploying the PCD. The agent ensures the PCD isclean. After powering up, the system will check whether the PCD is inrange of a connection to the communication network 80 and if so checkfor and update the control system software if updates are available 80b. After this step, sensor thresholds are set at an initial startupvalue by the controller 80 c. After deployment the system is in standby80 d awaiting signals at the sensor. If activation 80 e and/or movement80 f signals are received, the raw data of those signals is recorded 80g. If no signals are received, the system remains in standby 80 d.Depending on the processing capabilities of each PCD, the system maytake different steps with regards to raw data. Generally, the system maya) record all data for subsequent download, b) undertake somepreliminary filtering of raw data based on current filtering algorithmsand store that filtered data for subsequent download or c) undertake amore thorough analysis of the raw data based on more sophisticatedpattern recognition algorithms and store that filtered data forsubsequent download. Various combinations of this general functionalitymay be implemented.

For example, in one embodiment and as shown in FIG. 8, the systemevaluates the raw data 80 h and determines whether or not thecombination of movement and activation signal data constitutes either alive event 80 i or a non-live event 80 j. If an event (live or non-live)is determined to have occurred 80 h, the system will store the relevantdata and may mark the data as being a live event or non-live event basedon the filtering software/firmware in the controller. This pre-filtereddata may then be stored for subsequent upload to a PD or communicationsystem. The system will check periodically if a PD or othercommunication system is in range 801 and if so, report data to the PD orcommunication system 80 m. Similarly, at that time, the system willcheck for and update if new decision algorithms are available 80 b.

If no live-event has occurred, that is, it is determined that the datareceived was not the result of a live animal, in some embodiments, thedata is discarded and the system returns to standby 80 d. Periodically,the system will also evaluate whether the sensor is clear/clean 80 n. Ifthe sensor is clear, the system will remain in standby 80 d. If thesensor is not clear, the system may adjust the sensor threshold 80 c.

In some embodiments, initial filtering of data is achieved at the PCDlevel which reduces the amount of data that may be transmitted to theportable device and ultimately to the wide area network as shown inFIGS. 3 and 3A.

The system may be adjusted over time, such that the amount of live eventdata and non-live event data being transmitted is adjusted over time.For example, during a “learning phase” immediately following adeployment, a larger amount of data may be transmitted to the centralcomputer system so as to enable development of improved filtering andpattern recognition algorithms that improve the accuracy of the system.

In other words, the filtering algorithms may be adjusted over time byupdating the controller within each device, for example with firmware orsoftware.

As shown in FIG. 3B and FIG. 9, at the portable device level, theportable device generally acts to provide information to the agentregarding the status of the PCD and to make pattern recognitiondecisions based on the current pattern recognition algorithms andlibraries. The PDs also act to relay data from the PCD to thecloud/wide-area-network (WAN) 30 d and associated computer(s) 30 e. ThePD may also relay new software/firmware from the cloud/WAN to the PDand/or PCDs. Generally, in those deployments where there is nocontinuous or substantially continuous communication with the centralcomputer system, the majority of analysis will be conducted at the PDlevel to determine whether an event has occurred or not.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, application software 90 operating onthe portable device will scan for PCDs 90 a in its vicinity. If PCDswith events are discovered 90 b, the PD will connect to the PCD andreceive the event data 90 c such as the time stamp data and the detectedpatterns. Software on the PD will interpret the event data 90 d andbased on current interpretation algorithms make a decision whether ornot one or more live events and/or non-live events occurred. If one ormore events have occurred (i.e. an assumption that one or more mice havebeen detected 90 e and/or other data that suggests that the PCD requiresattention), the PD graphical user interface (GUI) would be updated 90 fto show the PCA the status of the PCD and specifically whether the PCDneeds to be serviced or not. Whether a PCD requires service or not willalso depend on the type of PCD and the number of live events that canoccur before requiring attention (e.g. one for a kill trap but multipleevents for a bait station) as well as other factors including thefouling of the sensors or other issues such as power or communicationfaults.

In addition, the application software can consolidate data from multiplePCDs if desired for uploading to the central computer system.

In one embodiment, the PCA will be prompted to verify that the statusindication that they received for each PCD is correct or not. Forexample, upon receiving a signal that a PCD needs attention, possiblybecause one or more events were detected, if upon inspecting the PCD, itappears to not have required attention, this can be marked as a falsepositive event. Thus, at a later time, the associated data from the PCDcan be reviewed and the pattern recognition algorithms potentiallyimproved upon as discussed below.

False positive and false negative data may be marked as such using thePD. Moreover, in various embodiments additional details may be enteredabout the nature of the false event including, for example, notingvarious observations about the PCD including the amount ofcontamination, type of contamination (e.g. animal (animal body, feces orurine) and/or natural contaminants (e.g. sand, soil, biomass)), position(e.g. elevated or ground level) and environmental observations (e.g.flooding, and/or physical damage). As a result, observational data maysubsequently be correlated to particular data patterns such that thepattern recognition algorithms can be updated to adjust for potentialscenarios in the future. For example, contamination by blowing sand maybe observed to provide false positive events that incorrectly result ina PCD's status as requiring attention. If particular patterns associatedwith blowing sand can be analyzed and statistically shown to be a uniquepattern, a pattern recognition algorithm may be updated to look for ablowing sand pattern and when observed mark that event as a non-liveevent, thus reducing the number of false positive readings that may beassociated with this type of contamination.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of collecting, evaluating andreporting data collected from a wide area network in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

At the cloud/WAN level, and at a central computer system 30 d, data froma larger number of PCDs and many events is received over particular timeperiods including hourly, daily, weekly, monthly time periods. This datais analyzed and/or summarized to create reports including reports sentto customers to report on ongoing operations and for billing as well asanalysis of sensor data to improve/adjust parameters for determiningevents and determining the effectiveness of a particular deploymentstrategy/plan at a particular location.

The raw data files (which may be at least partially filtered asdescribed above) together with input regarding whether or not falsepositive and false negative events occurred around particular events isused to improve the accuracy of filtering algorithms for determiningwhether or not an event actually occurred or not. For example, if a PCAnotes that in one particular area of a warehouse where there were 10traps deployed and notes that 7 had false positive signals had beenreceived, the particular event data for that group of traps could beanalyzed to note any particular reasons for those false positives. Forexample, it may be noted that these traps were particularly dirty andfalse positives may potentially be attributable to a particular type ofcontamination such as blowing sand, water ingress, etc. If a particulartype of pattern is attributable to those PCDs, further refinement of theevent algorithms may be developed and deployed back out to individualPCDs and PDs in the future.

Over time as the database of events increases, any changes developed maybe back-tested on historical data and previous false positive/falsenegative events to determine if new filtering/pattern recognitionalgorithms improves these indicators. New algorithms may be alsodeveloped for particular PCD models having a particular physical layoutand types of sensors. As such, additional information about the accuracyof particular types/models of PCD can be determined. For example, it maybe determined that a particular model of PCD having a particular sensorarray has fewer false positive or negative events than other models.Hence, the operators can use this data for planning for the likelyeffectiveness of a particular type of PCD.

When new algorithms are developed, depending on the deployment, thesemay be downloaded to all PDs in the system as application software (e.g.updating via Apple App store) or directly via the interconnected networksystem (e.g. the mesh communication system).

In various embodiments, other sensors and combination of sensors may beutilized such as mechanical, IR, temperature, humidity, mass, soundsensors, etc.

Pest Control Device Design

In various embodiments, existing PCDs are retrofitable with inserts suchas new PCD floors/walls/covers containing the sensor, controller andcommunication electronics. For example, existing PCDs having a definedfloor area and shape can be readily retrofit with a new PCD floor thatseats within an existing PCD.

In addition, PCDs incorporating features are described in FIGS. 11A-11Hfor a bait station type PCD. As shown in FIGS. 11A-11C, a typical PCDmay have a typical enclosed box design 100 having an upper lid 100 a andlower tray compartment 100 b hingedly connected to one another andhaving one or more locking catches 101 that secure the upper lid andlower tray together. The lower tray compartment may include one or moreentrances 102 a,b. The PCD is typically manufactured from an injectionmolded thermoplastic.

As shown in FIG. 11C, with the PCD in an open position, the interior ofthe PCD includes various dividers and surfaces that create definedspaces within the PCD. For example, in this example, the lower trayincludes the two entrances 102 a,b, ramp surfaces 104, bait areas 106and sensor area 108. Dividers 110 a on the lid and on the tray 110 bform the defined spaces when the lid is closed.

As such, when the PCD is closed and deployed, a pest will enter the PCDover the ramp and pass over the sensor area before reaching the baitareas. The sensor area is configured such the movement of the pest overand past the sensor area creates signal patterns that can be interpretedas a pest as described above.

As shown in FIGS. 11D and 11E, the lower tray 100 b may also beconfigured with a removable tray 112 designed to seat within the lowertray as a removable component. As shown and in this case, as a retrofittray 112, the tray 112 fits within an existing PCD enclosure withoutinterfering with the dividers as described above, thus substantially andprimarily providing a new floor system for the PCD.

The retrofit tray 112 is configured to include a sensor system 114 thatcan be operatively placed and sealed against an underside of theretrofit tray so as to provide sensor capabilities to the tray in awaterproof or sealed system. The sensor system will generally include aprinted circuit board (PCB) 114 a, batteries 114 b and an antenna 114 c.The sensor system will engage against the tray within a recess 112 ahaving the general shape of the PCB and batteries. The antenna 114 c mayproject above the main floor of the tray through a hole 112 b.

Generally, it is preferable that the antenna is in a generally verticalorientation to optimize its communication and range within thecommunication system. The antenna may project into a sealed antennacavity 112 c as shown in FIG. 11E and be formed as part of the tray.Generally, the sealed antenna cavity is dimensioned such that theantenna does not physically contact the inner walls of the sealedantenna cavity, again to optimize its communication and range within thecommunication system.

It is also preferable that the sensor system is fully sealed against thetray so as to ensure sensor system longevity inter alia by preventingwater/moisture/contaminant ingress. As shown in FIG. 11F, the sensorsystem 114 is fixed within the recess 112 a and as shown in FIG. 11G,cover 116 can be sealed against the sensor system and tray to form asealed compartment containing the sensor system.

In various embodiments, the retrofit tray may be disposable orre-usable. A disposable tray will typically be designed to have alife-span of 2-4 years where the sensor system is permanently sealedwithin the tray. At the end of its life-span, typically when thebatteries have depleted, the entire tray may be discarded. In otherembodiments, the tray may be a re-usable tray that will enablereplacement of the sensor system upon depletion of the batteries inwhich case the cover 116 may be removable allowing a new sensor packageand/or batteries to be installed.

Generally, it is anticipated that disposable systems will be preferreddue to the risks of leakage around a removable cover. That is, as aremovable cover will require additional sealing elements, such asgaskets or o-rings, a permanently sealed sensor chamber may bepreferable due to lower manufacturing costs and lower risks/costs thatmay be associated with replacing batteries and/or servicing units.

As shown in FIG. 11H, the sensor system will generally include a PCB 114a, one or more batteries 114 b and an antenna 114 c. The PCB 114 mayinclude separate areas including a sensor area 114 d where those sensorsdetecting movement are located and an electronics/communication areacontaining the appropriate sensor driver, power management, datacollection and processing, memory and communication electronics.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated withrespect to preferred embodiments and preferred uses thereof, it is notto be so limited since modifications and changes can be made thereinwhich are within the full, intended scope of the invention as understoodby those skilled in the art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A pest control system (PCS) comprising: atleast one pest control device (PCD), each PCD having: at least onesensor, the at least one sensor configured to detect a body within aregion of the PCD; a PCD controller operatively connected to the atleast one sensor, the PCD controller configured to receive raw data fromthe at least one sensor including device event data representingpresence or movement of animate bodies adjacent the at least one sensor;a wireless communication system operatively connected to the PCDcontroller for transmitting data from the PCD controller to a relayingcommunication device (RCD) having an RCD controller, where the RCDincludes an input system enabling a user to manually verify if a PCDstatus as analyzed and displayed is true or not-true, and whereinmanually entered verification is defined as verification data; and, acentral computer system (CCS) configured to operatively connect to eachRCD and upload the raw data from each PCD to the CCS, and where the CCSis configured with a CCS algorithm, the CCS algorithm configured tocompare the verification data and the raw data to calculate a frequencyof false-positive and false-negative events associated with particularraw data patterns.
 2. The PCS as in claim 1 where the PCD controller isconfigured to pre-filter the raw data as device event data representingpresence or movement of animate bodies and non-live data representingpresence or movement of non-animate bodies.
 3. The PCS as in claim 2where the PCD controller is configured to transmit the device event datato the RCD and discard the non-live data.
 4. The PCS as in claim 2 wherethe PCD controller is configured to transmit raw data to the RCD.
 5. ThePCS of claim 1 further comprising at least one RCD configured foroperative communication with at least one PCD, each RCD configured toreceive data from at least one PCD controller and configured with an RCDanalysis algorithm to analyze the data to determine PCD status.
 6. ThePCS as in claim 5 where PCD status is designated as a)does-not-require-attention or b) requires-attention and where the RCDincludes a display system configured to display PCD status.
 7. The PCSas in claim 1 where the raw data from each PCD is correlated to theverification data.
 8. The PCS as in claim 1 where the CCS is configuredto back test a CCS algorithm on raw data to determine the effectivenessof the CCS algorithm on reducing the frequency of false-positive andfalse-negative events.
 9. The PCS as in claim 1 where the CCS isconfigured to update each PCD and RCD controller with adjusted filteringand analysis algorithms.
 10. The PCS as in claim 1 where the RCDcontroller is configured to filter raw data to determine whether a PCDrequires attention.
 11. The PCS as in claim 1 further comprising atleast one mesh communication node device operatively connected to atleast one PCD and where communication between the at least one PCD, meshcommunication node device and CCS is continuous.
 12. A pest controlsystem (PCS) comprising: at least one pest control device (PCD) each PCDhaving: at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured todetect a body within a region of the PCD; a PCD controller operativelyconnected to the at least one sensor, the PCD controller configured toreceive raw data from the at least one sensor including device eventdata representing presence or movement of animate bodies adjacent the atleast one sensor; and a wireless communication system operativelyconnected to the controller for transmitting data from the PCDcontroller to a relaying communication device (RCD) having an RCDcontroller; where the at least one sensor is a capacitive sensor and thecapacitive sensor and PCD controller are configured to monitor acombination of movement and activation signals where movement signalsinclude a frequency of movements adjacent the at least one sensor and anactivation signal corresponds to a detection time and duration of a massadjacent the at least one sensor.
 13. The PCS as in claim 12 wherecombinations of movement and activation signals are analyzed by the RCDcontroller within pre-defined time periods and where number andfrequency variations of movement and activation signals within thepre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis of determining thepresence or absence of an animate object.
 14. The PCS as in claim 12where the capacitive sensor and PCD controller are configured todynamically adjust an activation threshold for an activation signal. 15.The PCS as in claim 12 where the sensor is a single electrode capacitivesensor.
 16. A pest control device (PCD) comprising: a PCD body having anentrance region and an event region and at least one sensor, the atleast one sensor configured to detect a body within a region of the PCDbody; a PCD controller operatively connected to the at least one sensor,the PCD controller configured to analyze raw data received from the atleast one sensor; and, a wireless communication system operativelyconnected to the PCD controller for transmitting filtered data from thePCD controller to a relaying communication device (RCD); and where theat least one sensor is a capacitive sensor the capacitive sensor fordetecting the movement of animate objects past the entrance regiontowards the bait or trap region.
 17. The PCD as in claim 16 where thePCD controller is configured to pre-filter the raw data as device eventdata representing presence or movement of animate bodies and non-livedata representing presence or movement of non-animate bodies.
 18. ThePCS as in claim 17 where the PCD controller is configured to transmitdevice event data to the RCD and discard non-live event data.
 19. ThePCS as in claim 16 where the PCD controller is configured to transmitraw data to the RCD.
 20. The PCD as in claim 16 where the PCD is a killtrap and the at least one sensor is configured to the event region. 21.The PCD as in claim 16 where the PCD is a bait station and the at leastone sensor is configured to a sensor region located between the entranceregion and event region.
 22. The PCD as in claim 16 where the capacitivesensor and PCD controller are enabled to monitor a combination ofmovement and activation signals where movement signals correspond to afrequency of movement adjacent the at least one sensor and an activationsignal corresponds to a detection time and duration of a mass adjacentthe at least one sensor.
 23. The PCD as in claim 16 where the RCD isconfigured to analyze raw data where combinations of movement andactivation signals are analyzed within pre-defined time periods andwhere number and frequency variations of movement and activation signalswithin the pre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis ofdetermining the presence or absence of an animate object.
 24. The PCD asin claim 16 where the capacitive sensor and controller are configured todynamically adjust an activation threshold for an activation signal. 25.The PCD as in claim 16 where the sensor is a single electrode capacitivesensor.
 26. A method of collecting data from a plurality of pest controldevices (PCDs), comprising the steps of: within a PCD having: at leastone sensor configured to detect movement of an animate body within aregion of the PCD; a PCD controller operatively connected to the atleast one sensor and configured to analyze raw data received from the atleast one sensor; and, a wireless communication system operativelyconnected to the PCD controller and configured to transmit any one of ora combination of raw data and pre-filtered raw event data from thecontroller to a relaying communication device (RCD); a) analyzing rawdata from the at least one sensor; b) uploading data to the relayingcommunication device (RCD); c) enabling a central computer system (CCS)to operatively connect to each RCD and where any one of or a combinationof raw data and pre-filtered raw data from each PCD is uploaded to theCCS; and d) configuring the CCS to back test an adjusted filteringalgorithm on past raw data to test the effectiveness of the adjustedfiltering algorithm.
 27. The method as in claim 26 further comprisingthe step of pre-filtering raw data between animate object data andnon-animate object data prior to uploading data to the RCD.
 28. Themethod as in claim 27 further comprising the steps of, at the RCD, i.analyzing animate object data from the PCD based on current patternrecognition algorithms and determining PCD status as i)requires-attention or ii) does-not-require-attention and ii. displayingPCD status to a user.
 29. The method as in claim 28 further comprisingthe step of enabling a user to manually verify if a PCD status asreported is true or not true, and wherein manually entered verificationis defined as verification data.
 30. The method as in claim 26 furthercomprising the step of correlating raw data and event data from each PCDto the verification data.
 31. The method as in claim 26 furthercomprising the step of enabling analysis of the verification data andthe raw data at the CCS.
 32. A method of collecting data from aplurality of pest control devices (PCDs), comprising the steps of:within a PCD having: at least one sensor configured to detect movementof an animate body within a region of the PCD; a PCD controlleroperatively connected to the at least one sensor and configured toanalyze raw data received from the at least one sensor; and, a wirelesscommunication system operatively connected to the PCD controller andconfigured to transmit any one of or a combination of raw data andpre-filtered raw event data from the controller to a relayingcommunication device (RCD); a) analyzing raw data from the at least onesensor; b) uploading data to the relaying communication device (RCD); c)enabling a central computer system (CCS) to operatively connect to eachRCD and where any one of or a combination of raw data and pre-filteredraw data from each PCD is uploaded to the CCS; and d) configuring theCCS to update each PCD and RCD with adjusted filtering and analyzingalgorithms.
 33. The method as in claim 32 further comprising the step ofconfiguring each of the PCD and RCDs to a mesh communication network.34. A method of collecting data from a plurality of pest control devices(PCDs), comprising the steps of: within a PCD having: at least onesensor configured to detect movement of an animate body within a regionof the PCD; a PCD controller operatively connected to the at least onesensor and configured to analyze raw data received from the at least onesensor; and, a wireless communication system operatively connected tothe PCD controller and configured to transmit any one of or acombination of raw data and pre-filtered raw event data from thecontroller to a relaying communication device (RCD); a) analyzing rawdata from the at least one sensor, where the at least one sensor is acapacitive sensor; b) uploading data to the relaying communicationdevice (RCD); c) enabling the capacitive sensor and controller tomonitor a combination of movement and activation signals where movementsignals correspond to a frequency of movement adjacent the at least onesensor and an activation signal corresponds to a detection time andduration of a mass adjacent the at least one sensor.
 35. The method asin claim 34 further comprising the step of analyzing combinations ofmovement and activation signals within pre-defined time periods andwhere number and frequency variations of movement and activation signalswithin the pre-defined time periods are evaluated as a basis ofdetermining the presence or absence of an animate object.
 36. The methodas in claim 34 further comprising the step of dynamically adjusting thecapacitive sensor to adjust an activation threshold for an activationsignal.